I've played quite some games since my last posts here.
During those games I (hope I) learned a lot about the citadel upgrades.
I only play 3v3 Conquest so everything in here relates to 3v3 Conquest games.
Shorter 1v1 / 2v2 games are played diffrent.
Longer 4v4 / 5v5 games are played diffrent.
You can still use this as a guideline, but a lot of things will be diffrent.
Here are the most common upgrades:
- Fortified Structure
- Building Firepower
- Currency
- Experience
- Reinforcements
- Blacksmith / Armory
I won't talk about Graveyard, Fort Upgrade and Finger of God since I don't have much experience with those.
Fortified Structure
- Level 1 600 gold
- Buildings gain +10% Health and +10 Health Per Second.
- Level 3 1800 gold
- Buildings gain +25% Health and +15 Health Per Second.
- Level 5 3000 gold
- Buildings gain +40% Health and +20 Health Per Second.
- Level 8 4800 gold
- Buildings gain +55% Health and +25 Health Per Second.
This is a great upgrade unless you're able to constantly guard your towers and keep the other team off them.
It keeps your towers alive, giving you more map control and visibility.
This upgrade is definetly the first upgrade you should get in any game, unless you're totally owning the other team.
I've only used level 1 so far, but if your team is losing and the other team is pushing your towers you might want to put some more levels in this.
Building Firepower
- Level 2 500 gold
- Buildings gain +10% damage and splash damage.
- Splash is 10% of building damage on a radius of 1.
- Level 4 1500 gold
- Buildings gain +15% damage and splash damage.
- Splash is 30% of building damage on a radius of 1.5.
- Level 6 2500 gold
- Buildings gain +20% damage and splash damage.
- Splash is 40% of building damage on a radius of 2.
- Level 9 3500 gold
- Buildings gain +25% damage and splash damage.
- Splash is 50% of building damage on a radius of 2.5.
A usefull upgrade if the enemy team is pushing your towers early.
Don't get this upgrade if the enemy isn't trying to take your towers down.
I've never gotten this upgrade past level 1 but it might be usefull if the other team is pushing your towers.
Currency
- Level 3 1800 gold
- Adds a mint to the Citadel increasing the gold income of the team by 4.
- Level 5 3000 gold
- Adds a mint to the Citadel increasing the gold income of the team by 6.
- Level 7 4200 gold
- Adds a mint to the Citadel increasing the gold income of the team by 8.
This is probably THE most important upgrade in the game, it wins games if taken and loses games if forgotten.
I don't know the exact maths, but the first upgrade at level 3 will give each member on your side 4 extra gold each tick. I've read the first level pays itself back within 5 minutes.
I only play 3v3, in those games you should only use the first currency level. The other levels only add 2 gold each tick and cost a lot more. I've read the level 5 upgrade takes 15 minutes to pay itself back and the level 7 upgrade will take even longer.
In short games only learn the first upgrade, in longer games learn the second upgrade, don't think the third upgrade is ever good.
There's a topic on these forums somewhere explaining the exact maths if you're interested, I might add a link here later.
Experience
- Level 2 1200 gold
- Experience earned by Demigods increased by 10%.
- Level 4 2400 gold
- Experience earned by Demigods increased by 20%.
- Level 6 3600 gold
- Experience earned by Demigods increased by 30%.
- Level 8 4800 gold
- Experience earned by Demigods increased by 40%.
I've read some stuff about this upgrade on the forum, I've tried it a few times myself but I don't like it.
I'll explain the two diffrent points of view, you'll have to decide for yourself.
#1: If you learn upgrade 1 & 2 at level 2 & level 4 your team will get more experience. If the other team gets priests early you will get even more experience.
#2: (I use this option) If you don't learn any experience upgrades you have more gold to buy equipment, wich in return will make it easier to kill the enemy demigods, wich will earn you more experience than the xp upgrades. Another advantage is that you're less likely to die yourself and give the enemy team more experience / gold.
I never actually calculated this and it depends on how many kills you can get, but I prefer this method.
In 3v3 games never go past the second upgrade at lvl 4, it will just be wasted money.
In longer games the other upgrades might be usefull, but I don't think so.
Reinforcements
- Level 1 400 gold
- Adds 5 Minotaurs to the portal wave.
- This upgrade comes pre-bought.
- Level 2 800 gold
- Adds 2 Archers to the portal wave.
- This upgrade comes pre-bought.
- Citadel must reach level 2 to activate.
- Level 6 3600 gold
- Adds 2 Angels to the portal wave.
- Level 10 6000 gold
- Adds 2 Giants to the portal wave.
These are very game dependant.
Here are some general guidelines:
- Don't get any of these upgrades for as long as possible or untill your war rank is 8.
- If the other team is pushing you far back with their creep waves, get some of your own creeps too.
- If the other team is pushing you back without their creeps, get priests but no other upgrades yet.
Once you hit war rank 6-7 start getting priests / angels, or just save gold to get them at war rank 8.
Once you hit war rank 8 get priests / angels / cats NOW!
At war rank 10 get giants NOW!
Blacksmith
- Level 2 1200 gold
- Constructs a blacksmith increasing reinforcement damage by +20%.
- Level 4 2400 gold
- Constructs a blacksmith increasing reinforcement damage by +35%.
- Level 6 3000 gold
- Constructs a blacksmith increasing reinforcement damage by +50%.
- Level 9 5400 gold
- Constructs a blacksmith increasing reinforcement damage by +65%.
Armory
- Level 1 600 gold
- The Citadel gains an armory increasing reinforcement Health by 10% and granting +100 armor.
- Level 3 1800 gold
- The Citadel gains an armory increasing reinforcement Health by 20% and granting +200 armor.
- Level 5 3000 gold
- The Citadel gains an armory increasing reinforcement Health by 30% and granting +300 armor.
- Level 8 4800 gold
- The Citadel gains an armory increasing reinforcement Health by 40% and granting +400 armor.
Do not get these upgrades untill you have cats and/or giants.
These are end-game upgrades, only used to make your creeps destroy the enemy citadel faster.
Put all your end-game gold in these upgrades, don't buy artifacts, buy these upgrades!
Ofcourse save enough money for tele's / flag locks and make sure you have some decent equipment first too. (decent doesn't mean artifacts, I've never bought an artifact in 100+ games)